GOP contenders for Kane County board 6 talk stipends, equalized pay

Voters in the Feb. 2 Republican primary for Kane County Board District 21 have a choice between a one-time county board member and the incumbent who was elected to replace him.

Lee Barrett, a 72-year-old engineer from East Dundee, held the district seat for eight years from 1998, before John Fahy, 48, of West Dundee, took the reins in 2006.

The district covers parts of Carpentersville, East Dundee and West Dundee.

While the candidates share similar ideas when it comes to the need for the county to continue providing essential services without tax increases or blown budgets, the hopefuls have divergent views on compensating committee members for attending meetings and equalizing pay across county departments.

Members of the Kane County Board are assigned to specific committees charged with researching and advising the county board on matters ranging from transportation to health issues. Fahy, a member of the several county committees including the forest preserve and finance panels, said in a Daily Herald candidate questionnaire that the board members should not receive compensation for attending committee meetings.

"Currently, a stipend is not paid for committee attendance and I support that we do not begin to pay a stipend," said Fahy, a lieutenant with the Elgin Fire Department. "County board members have a responsibility to attend the committees they are assigned to."

Barrett, on the other hand, said he would support a stipend for committee meetings.

"Members should be compensated with a stipend to offset travel and time," Barrett said in the Daily Herald candidate questionnaire.

In addition, Barrett says the county can equalize pay by establishing uniform job description profiles and pay scales.

But Fahy argues equalized pay across county departments is unrealistic.

"As with any profession, each skill set commands a different rate of pay," Fahy wrote in the questionnaire.

"There are ways to equalize some portions of unionized and non-unionized job benefits as we do with the county health insurance - the number of vacation days earned for years of service, bereavement leave and tuition reimbursement ... ."